Beastmaster of the Ages

Forty days had passed since the Exterminatus Army departed. Having been traveling at their best speed, they were about halfway to their destination. The looming darkness approached the Sun closer and closer. Apart from the traitors from the Sun, yet another topic took Ebonia by storm: the Infinitum Swordsea. Word was spreading that the Lin Clan was up to something big!

”They’re really likely to abandon the Infinitum Swordsea in favor of escaping to the Sun to form a new nation within the Infinitum Bodhimanda with Lin Xiaodao!” All the people within the Infinitum Mundus enjoyed the benefits of being under the banner of the Infinitum Bodhimanda. As such, they were all invested in any potential rifts that threatened to pull the institution apart. They had all kinds of criticism for the Swordgod Lin Clan and Xiaodao.

But the chaos within the Infinitum Bodhimanda had all started back when the ebons had launched an attack on Mount Taia using divine astralships. Before that, ships were nothing more than methods of transportation.

Within the past two weeks, it was clear to many people that large numbers of deific-class ships and below were leaving Ebonia, a sign of an exodus of the Lin Clan. Some of the common folk were hoping that the Infinitum Bodhimanda would take action to stop them, but the ebons didn’t take any such action to maintain their veil of righteousness. The Ebonians weren’t completely united in the matter, so stopping low-stakes ships from leaving not only made no strategic sense, but also invited criticism. It could be the excuse Yi Daiyan needed to step in and interfere with the matter.

As such, the initial plans of the Lin Clan turned out to be quite successful. At every moment, there were ships that ascended toward the astralscape. Having the ships themselves fly to the Sun was their main priority. They made sure to scatter in the astralscape and chart their own courses toward the Sun, and in time, only the sanctuary-class ships and above were left in the Infinitum Swordsea for the final charge.

Allies of the ebons began gathering in the vicinity of the Infinitum Swordsea, their ships in particular. While they didn’t stop deific-class ships or below from leaving, they were armed and ready for conflict. The ebons and their allies took it for granted that Yi Daiyan would not interfere as long as they maintained their righteous cause.

Within two short weeks, many ships had gathered, including more than twenty ether-class ships from the second fleet of the Exterminatus Army. There were easily more than three hundred sanctuary-class ships as well. Roughly half a million astral gods were there in total, many of whom were from the Infinitum Regal Clans, ebons included. The other five clans had roughly the same number of astral gods as the Lin Clan, around five hundred thousand in total. Each clan sent around two hundred thousand in the expedition toward the Sun, leaving some seventy or eighty thousand near the Infinitum Swordsea. All in all, the Infinitum Regal Clans had effectively sent more than half of their total forces away.

It was clear to see the benefits that Shenxi Xingtian had promised them for them to be willing to commit to such an extent. Naturally, everything had been done under the pretense of maintaining righteous order. Altogether, the astral gods that gathered near the Infinitum Swordsea added up to be as large as the full force of the Lin Clan, maintaining a fine balance that was being tipped by the second. The more their numbers grew, the less defended their home bases were. Whether they would be able to succeed in the end still depended largely on how they performed.

Recently, another theory had emerged that the Infinitum Swordsea was just faking an imminent escape as a distraction. According to that theory, the Lin Clan wouldn’t dare to mount such a charge at all. The only reason they gave an indication that they would was to draw the attention of the ebons and their allies so that they would gather their forces, leaving their home bases less defended overall, which was something that Yi Daiyan or the other clans could exploit.

Of all the other hypothesized motivations, that seemed to be the most likely possibility, as the second fleet of the Exterminatus Army that was stationed near the Infinitum Swordsea was led by the next-generation ruler of the ebons, Shenxi Tianxi. With all five hundred thousand astral gods of his constantly leering at the Infinitum Swordsea, there was no way the Lin Clan would actually dare to attempt to flee.

......

Shenxi Tianxi activated a gold transmission stone near a lake. Lin Jie’s monochrome projection appeared within the stone, a sign that his ship, the Judgment, wasn’t far from Ebonia.

”Friend, how many days until your arrival? We’ll receive you with a warm welcome,” Shenxi Tianxi said, a beaming smile on his face.

”In around five days. I should be on time, right?” Lin Jie said.

”You should. It’ll still be another two weeks before the fighting starts. Those at the Infinitum Swordsea won’t dare to move before that.”

”Then I can rest assured.”

”There’s quite a bit of commotion in the Infinitum Swordsea. Some want to leave, but others don’t. They’re tearing themselves apart. At least four-tenths of them, or even more, are freaking about what Lin Xiaodao and Lin Feng did. They’re just being forcefully suppressed. It’s a prime time for you to return. Your chance to wipe away your humiliation is finally here.”

”Is that so?” Lin Jie smirked. He tried feigning indifference, but his eyes gave him away. Putting his hands together in a salute, he said, ”My gratefulness is beyond words, Shenxi Tianxi.”

”There’s no need to play it up so much. You’re emerging from the darkness into the light to bring a new age to the Lin Clan. No doubt, your efforts will leave a huge mark in the clan’s history.”

”I’ll take your word for it, then.”

”Hahahaha....” Tianxi waved behind him. ”Come back soon, I have a new friend to introduce you to.”

Behind him stood a figure with golden hair and blue eyes. She had a tall, striking figure that gave off a domineering impression. Despite not looking like the fairest of maidens, she was a stunning beauty in her own right.

”A sanctlighter? Sheng Kailin?” Lin Jie wondered.

”Not bad, you recognized her at first glance,” Tianxi said.

”How could I not? She’s a top elite of the second-largest clan in the Infinitum Mundus. Someone of your caliber, no less.”

”Well said, my friend. When you come back, I’m sure the two of you will have a whole night to talk things through.”

......

Another two weeks passed. Yin Chen had spread out in the Sun’s vicinity. The moment the Exterminatus Army arrived, the war began. The time was nigh.

”Ready!”

The ether-class Sun burned bright pink as nine hundred thousand flameyellow fiends appeared, roaring menacingly. Within the flaming pink clouds, Li Wudi sat on the Flameyellow Coffin, controlling the formation within which the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb, Gladean Ruins, Reaper, and other powerful divine astralships lay in waiting, their weapons armed and ready.